2012 National Wildlife Photo Contest Winners Gallery

The National Wildlife Photo Contest is now in its fourth decade, but entries to the competition continue to surprise the magazine’s editors. Chosen from more than 28,000 images in seven categories, this year’s winners include photos of some truly unexpected animal behaviors: Thousands of salmon encircle a grizzly just beyond the bear’s reach, a seal “plays” with a penguin before eating the prey and a hummingbird attacks an “intruder” that’s actually its own reflection. Other images depict better-known behaviors that are presented in ways we’ve not seen before: A pair of hawks, talon-to-talon, battle in midair and migratory salmon approach a photographer head-on at sunset.